


Evan Enchanted

by thesaltydragon, UnfortunatelySux



Category: Dear Evan Hansen - Pasek & Paul/Levenson
Genre: Cursed Evan, Ella Enchanted AU, Fluff, Getting Together, Implied Sexual Content, Jared’s really soft, M/M, Prince Jared - Freeform, also brief...non smut sexual content?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-20
Updated: 2018-04-20
Packaged: 2019-04-25 06:24:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 15,053
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14372832
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thesaltydragon/pseuds/thesaltydragon, https://archiveofourown.org/users/UnfortunatelySux/pseuds/UnfortunatelySux
Summary: Evan Hansen was cursed with the gift of obedience as a baby. Now the King has his eyes on him as a suitor for his son, Prince Jared.





	Evan Enchanted

**Author's Note:**

> this is long

Heidi didn’t know what was wrong with her son. He was only an infant, sure, but the other babies in her parenting class were much more well behaved than her little Evan. They drank their milk without throwing a fit, they went to sleep peacefully, and their mothers had time to work. Heidi barely had time to feed herself. She was alone tending to her son, for reasons she’d rather forget. She just wanted her son to be happy, but he was making it so hard. Eventually, she ended up at a strange looking home, filled with dream catchers and jars of plants. She didn’t remember how she got there, but when the old woman opened the door, she immediately asked how to help her son. The woman gave him a tap on the nose, saying she’d granted him the ‘gift of obedience’. It sounded perfect at the time. 

————

Jared was sick of his father always going on and on about him finding a spouse. His father knew he was gay, that had come out long ago, but even now that the king focused on the men in the kingdom in his searches for a suitor for him, Jared had yet to find anyone he actually liked.

A young man caught the king’s attention one afternoon at a routine visit to a kingdom high school. He was quiet, probably Jared’s age, and seemed reserved and mature enough for his son. It wasn’t long before the king learned the boy’s name was Evan Hansen, and he was bent on setting him up with the prince. Casually, he sent a servant to slip Hansen’s kingdom ID under Jared’s door. 

Jared sighed as he saw yet another ID slipped under his door. Great. He stood from his bed, dragging himself over to pick it up. He didn't bother looking at it, throwing himself back onto his bed with a sigh. He was about to just trash it when his eyes caught on the picture. Damn. This one was definitely pretty. Jared's eyes skimmed the details. Evan Hansen, huh? Maybe he would allow his father to set up one date, just to see if he was as pretty in real life as he was in his picture.

————

When a limousine marked with the royal seal showed up at Evan’s house one morning, he thought he was being executed. He had no reason other than anxiety to think so, but damn, it was convincing. His mother was already at work, so he couldn’t just tell her the king’s servants were at their house. She usually couldn’t keep her phone with her, instead keeping it in a personal locker. When the driver stepped out and told Evan to get in, he felt the familiar tingle of obedience and did so immediately. He didn’t ask questions, but every minute made him more sweaty and anxious. He was missing a biology exam!

Jared sat with his arms crossed, bouncing his knee. Why was he nervous? He only really wanted to meet this guy out of curiosity. Still, he hoped his father hadn't scared the guy too badly.

It took three hours to get Evan ready to meet Prince Jared. The servants insisted he get a new outfit, and of course, he couldn’t refuse. He hadn’t seen anyone but those who were in the limo that morning. No sign of the king. But now he was being ushered in an uncomfortable suit toward a large looking door at the end of a long hallway. Someone went ahead of him and knocked. 

Jared jolted at the knock on the door. “Yeah, come in.”

The door opened, and Evan was pushed in, the door closing again afterward. He was alone with the prince. “Uh…”

Jared gulped. “Oh. Um. Hi.”

“Y-You’re the–” Evan cleared his throat. “You’re the prince.”

Jared nodded, blushing slightly. “I am. And you're Evan, right?”

Evan returned the blush. “Y-Yes, your majesty,” he answered awkwardly. 

“Ah,” Jared grimaced. “You really don't have to call me that. Just- Jared, is fine.” He shifted slightly. “Won't you sit down?”

Evan instantly fell to the floor. “Uh, sorry.”

Jared blinked. “I meant– I meant sit over here, in the chair. Are you- Am I intimidating you or?”

Evan shook his head, rushing to the chair in no time. “No,” he said. “Well, a little. I’m–” He didn’t need to bother the prince with his problems. “Why am I h-here?”

Jared frowned slightly. “Um, My dad. He's been trying to find a- a suitor for me. And you fit the bill.”

“A s-suitor?” Evan squeaked. “Me? Wh-What does the _king_ see in me?!”

Jared gave him a crooked smile. “That's what you're here to find out.” 

“I-I’m missing a test in biology for this,” Evan muttered. “Well, it’s over now, so I missed it, period. I-I’ll have to make it up and the makeup tests are so much harder and–” He cut himself off when he realized he was rambling. “I am so sorry.”

Jared bit his lip. “If you want to leave, you can. I won't stop you. But, I do have to admit that you're the first guy who has intrigued me so much.”

Evan gulped. “I intrigue you?” 

Jared nodded. “Yes. You're very pretty. And you don't seem like an ass.”

“I-I don’t think I’m an ass,” Evan said. “You think I’m pretty?” He looked up at Jared in shock. 

Jared nodded. “Yeah. You're the prettiest guy I've seen, honestly.”

“In the whole kingdom?!” Evan was feeling a little lightheaded. 

Jared blushed more. “Jeez, yes, okay?” He pouted, crossing his arms. “Will you tell me about yourself?”

Evan’s tongue tingled. “I’m Evan Hansen, I live with my single mother, I’m a senior in high school, I like nature more than a teenager should, and I suffer from anxiety,” he said in a single breath. God, he hated that. 

Jared blinked, processing the dump of information. “Wow,” he breathed. “Well, I guess I oughta tell you about me, too. I'm Jared Kleinman, the failing prince, I like computers, and I hate being royalty.” 

“Wh-Why do you hate it? I-I mean, other than the stress you’re probably under?” Evan thought he was doing quite well talking to the prince so far. 

Jared shrugged, sitting back in his seat. “No one sees me as Jared. I'm just the Prince. I mean, god, I can't even have a date without intimidating you.”

“N-No, it’s just- It’s not you, I-I swear, it’s- I have anxiety.” Evan fidgeted. “And th-this is a place I’ve only seen in pictures, and this suit is godawful-“

Jared smiled slightly. “Yeah, I’m sorry about that. I told them to just leave it, but they never listen.”

“Th-They seemed a little pushy,” Evan admitted. 

Jared snorted. “You can say that again,” he grumbled. Pushy was an understatement.

“They seemed a little pushy,” Evan repeated automatically. 

Jared blinked in surprise, laughing a little. “You're definitely interesting,” he observed. 

“Th-Thanks?” Evan returned to nervously picking at the cufflinks in the suit he was forced into. 

Jared softened slightly, taking pity on Evan. He stood up, “Come here,” he muttered, shuffling towards him.

Evan found himself doing as he was told. “H-Hi,” he said once they were closer. 

Jared blushed slightly, unbuttoning Evan's coat and pulling it off, tossing it carelessly on to a chair. He took Evan's hands, unbuttoning the cuffs of his button up shirt and rolling the sleeves up to his elbow. Finally, he popped the top few buttons of the shirt to give him some breathing room. “Better?”

Evan stretched a little. “Y-Yeah, thanks.” Admittedly, he’d gotten pretty red when the prince started unbuttoning his clothes, but when he stopped, he let out a breath of relief.

Jared stepped back, nodding. “Good. So, Evan Hansen, what do you like to do for fun?”

“O-Oh, I’m actually an apprentice park ranger over at Ellison. It’s more of a dream than a job, really.” Evan could gush about trees all day, and he knew if given the order, he wouldn’t be able to stop. 

Jared smiled. “Then do you want to go there?”

“G-Go there? With you?” Evan perked up. 

Jared nodded. 

“As a- As a date?” Evan squeaked. 

Jared nodded again, smiling slightly. “I think I’d like to get to know you, if you’ll let me.”

Evan’s chest fluttered. “G-God, I– O-Okay, yeah,” he finally agreed. He couldn’t say no to the prince. Plus, he was cute. 

Jared broke out into a stupid grin. “Awesome. Let's sneak out.”

“Sneak out? You’re not allowed to, um, leave?” Evan quirked an eyebrow. That didn’t seem right. 

Jared hummed, leading Evan over to a side door out of the room. “Another delightful perk of being the Prince.”

“Sounds, um, lonely,” Evan commented, looking at the door in awe. 

Jared snorted again. “Lonely? Yeah. Absolutely.”

Evan gulped. “I- I’m so sorry.”

Jared shrugged, “You get used to it.”

“This- This is all very new to me,” Evan admitted, “but being lonely is something I think I can relate to.” 

Jared gave Evan a sad smile. “Well, maybe if things go well neither of us will be quite so lonely anymore, right?”

Evan’s expression changed. “Y-You think we’ll–” He composed himself. “Yeah, maybe.”

Jared's confident façade gave way for only a second. “Don't feel pressured into any of this just because I'm the stupid prince, though, okay? Please. Be honest.”

Evan blinked. “I’m mostly going through with this because I know it’s a dream, and the other part of me can’t pass up an opportunity to see trees.”

Jared's eyebrows furrowed. “A dream? What do you mean?”

Evan groaned. Now he had to explain. “Th-This isn’t real, it’s just a dream I’m having about a cute boy taking me on a date to my favorite place.” 

Jared laughed a bit. “Evan, you don't have to try to flatter me like that. You know this isn't actually a dream, right?”

Evan sighed. “To be honest I feel like I’m either gonna wake up or pass out.”

Jared put a hand on his shoulder. “Is that a good thing or a bad thing?”

Evan squeaked. “Not sure yet.”

Jared smiled a bit. “I hope it's good.”

Evan blushed. “It might be,” he muttered. 

Jared bit his lip. “Park?”

“Y-Yeah.” Evan—dreaming or not—really wanted to see Jared in the sunlight, for some reason. 

\--------

When they made it to Ellison State Park, Jared was in wonder. “Woah, those trees are huge!”

Evan somehow couldn’t keep his eyes off Jared. “Have-have you never seen trees like this before?”

Jared stared up at the high branches and fluttering birds with wide eyes. “No, not this big! I didn't even know they got that big!” 

With the way Evan’s chest felt, it wasn’t possible for this to be a dream. “They can get a lot bigger than this!” he promised. “Redwoods on the west coast get big enough to tunnel through! Banyan trees grow really weirdly and can overtake a whole building!”

Jared stared at Evan in wonder. “Really? That's so cool!”

Evan smiled at him. For a moment, he forgot he was with royalty. “That one’s probably forty feet tall,” he said, pointing to the tallest around. 

Jared whistled lowly. “You get to _work_ here? What do you do, usually?”

“Well, park rangers usually just, um, make sure people treat the park right, help them figure out where stuff is– but sometimes I get to document the wildlife and record how the trees are doing. It’s fun! To me, at least.”

Jared didn't seem uninterested. “How do you tell how the trees are doing?”

No one had ever kept Evan in a conversation this long. He used it to his advantage. “Their leaves are surprising indicators of their health! I take samples and analyze them. That’s the boring part. The fun part’s climbing the trees to get the leaves in the first place.”

Jared's eyes widened. “You can _climb_ them?!”

Evan gave Jared a look. “You didn’t know that?”

Jared shook his head. “I mean, normal trees, sure, but _those_?!”

“Uh, yeah, you can pretty much climb any tree, if you try hard enough.”

Jared smiled. “That's _really_ cool, Evan.”

“It- It is?” Evan tilted his head. 

Jared nodded. “Totally!”

Evan bit his lip. “You wanna see?” It was risky, but he felt like taking risks. 

Jared hesitated. “Are you sure it's safe?”

“I’ve done this a hundred times!” Evan had done it thirteen times. 

Jared still wasn't sure. “I don't know.. I don't want you to get hurt, even if you have done it plenty of times before.”

Evan started to doubt himself. “W-Well I don’t have to…”

Jared waved his hands. “It's not that I don't think you can do it or anything! I'm just worried that you something might happen and then you would end up hurt because of me!”

“No, no, it’s fine, I- I just get way too confident out here. It’s a curse.” Evan grimaced at his own words. That wasn’t a curse. He knew a real curse. 

Jared frowned slightly. “Did I ruin your mood?”

“No!”

“Are you sure? You don't seem as happy.”

“No, I-I ruined the mood for myself. Sorry.” Evan looked down. “This is a date, right?”

Jared nodded, looking down at his feet. “Evan, will you be honest? Do you actually want to be here with me, or are you just doing it because I'm the prince and you feel obligated?”

At this point, Evan didn’t really know. It didn’t matter though, because his mouth spoke for him. He hadn’t even thought that was an order coming from Jared. “I want to be here,” he heard himself say. 

Jared bit his lip. “Do you- Are you interested in me?”

“Y-you are pretty interesting,” Evan admitted. 

Jared shook his head. “I meant, like, romantically.”

“Oh.” Evan shifted on his feet. “Isn’t that what a date is meant to tell us?”

Jared nodded. “Yeah. I guess you're right.”

“D-Do I get a school excuse for this?”

Jared laughed. “Yeah, Ev. You're fine.”

Evan felt himself smile again. “I like that,” he said. “The nickname.” He mentally cursed Jared for telling him to be honest. 

Jared smiled back. “I like your straight forwardness.”

A blush painted Evan’s cheeks. “Y-You do?” He should. He made it happen. 

Jared nodded. “It's.. charming. And helpful.”

“Helpful?” Evan questioned. “Like...in deciding I’m not worth keeping around?”

Jared jolted. “What? No, I meant- it's helpful with figuring you out, Ev.”

“S-So that’s it? The- The prince is courting me now?” Evan’s voice was squeaky. How exactly had this happened? Suddenly, was all he remembered. How was he not a puddle on the grass yet?

Jared winced slightly at the word prince. “Only if you're interested! I'm not going to force you to court me if that's not what you want.”

“I know!” Evan assured. “I know, I-I get it. And I’m sorry, but you’re the _prince_ and I know that’s annoying but god, it’s gonna take a while for me to get over that.” He wasn’t sure if he was being disrespectful or not. 

Jared winced again, but nodded. “Yeah. I know. And I’m sorry about that. I wish things could be different.”

“So do I,” Evan whispered. “Sorry. I’m probably just a crazy commoner to you, huh?”

Jared huffed out a laugh. “Just a crazy commoner? Ev, you're the most enticing person I’ve ever met, and I’ve only know you for four hours.”

“I’m enticing?” 

Jared smiled, pulling Evan slightly closer. “Incredibly.”

Evan’s face burned. “I’m just a regular guy.”

Jared didn't notice as he shifted even closer. “That sounds perfect.”

Evan smiled. “If you see me for me, then that’s enough.”

Jared smiled back. “That's all I want,” he admitted.

“Th-Then I trust you’ll let me go home this afternoon to properly freak out with my mom about this?” Evan cracked a grin. 

Jared chuckled. “Yes, of course. I'm not going to hold you captive. I feel like that would have the opposite effect than what I'm going for.”

“Sorry, I-I don’t know how any of this works.” Evan looked down. 

Jared tilted Evan's chin up again to meet his gaze. “You tell me what you want, and I try to win over your heart like you seem to be doing with mine.”

Thank god the damn curse didn’t work with hypotheticals. “I-I’m what?” Evan squeaked. Did he hear that right?

Jared smiled bashfully. “I think I've developed quite a crush on you, Evan Hansen.”

“B-But I’m Evan Hansen!”

Jared laughed, nodding. “Yes, you are!” He stepped ever so slightly closer, just encroaching on Evan's personal space.

For some reason, Evan didn’t move away. “You have a crush on me?!”

Jared nodded. “I do.”

“Oh god, maybe that freaking out is a little early,” Evan muttered. 

Jared didn't move away. “Tell me what you want, Evan.”

Goddammit. Evan’s tongue tingled again. “I kinda wanna kiss a stranger.” What the hell? This was the prince! What was wrong with him?! He didn’t even know he wanted that!

Jared's lips twitched into a smile. “Is the stranger me?”

Evan made a noise. “Possibly?”

Jared brushed his fingers over Evan's cheek, leaning in until he was inches away. “Can I kiss you?”

“Sure!” Evan squeaked, blood rushing in his ears. 

Jared leaned up, cautiously capturing Evan's lips.

Evan kissed Jared back, suavely and with great charm. Or, he thought he did. In reality, he had passed out. 

Jared yelped as Evan fell over into him, eyes still closed. “Evan?” He shook him lightly. 

Evan was completely limp. 

Jared blinked. “Uh.. Evan?” Jared shook him harder.

Evan didn’t move. 

Jared was starting to panic. He carefully laid Evan down in the grass, leaning over him. “Evan?!” He patted his face. “Wake up!”

Evan’s skin grew warm as his eyes snapped open, the first thing he saw being the prince of his kingdom patting him on the face. “Wh- Huh?!”

Jared jolted, leaning closer to try and see if anything was wrong. “Evan! Are you okay?! What happened?”

Evan took a deep breath. “D-Did we just kiss?” he squeaked. “Th-This wasn’t a dream?!”

Jared blinked. He leaned down, kissing Evan again. That oughta answer his question. 

Evan yelped, but didn’t pass out again. He also didn’t kiss back. He was, pretty much, frozen. 

Jared pulled away, smiling awkwardly. “Hi.” That was stupid. He felt stupid.

Evan barely moved. “Hi,” he squeaked out. 

Jared gulped. “Are you okay?”

“Am I okay?” Evan echoed weakly. 

Jared frowned slightly. “Should I be calling someone?”

Evan managed to clear his throat. “S-Should you?” The only person with higher authority was the king. Or did he mean a doctor? Or his mom? Evan was so out of it. 

Jared's frown deepened. He helped Evan sit up as he knelt in front of him. “How do you feel? Dizzy? Nauseous? Are you sick?”

“I don’t–” Evan caught another deep breath. “E-Embarrassed, really,” he admitted. 

Jared let out a small breath. “You scared me.”

“I-I’m so sorry, your majesty, I-I– It happens sometimes.” Evan focused on a single blade of grass. 

Jared frowned again. “Your majesty?” He didn't like that. “You don't– It's just Jared, Evan. Anyway, what do you mean? How often does this happen?”

Evan coughed. “Like, o-once a month? Maybe? It’s no big deal!”

“Once a month? But why?”

“If I knew, I-I’d know.” Well, duh, Evan. “I’m fine.”

Jared put a hand on his cheek. “Are you sure?”

Evan lost his breath again. Jared’s hand was way too soft. “Y-Yeah,” he said, voice cracking. “Um, yeah.”

Jared smiled. “Good,” he breathed, taking in Evan's features.

Evan couldn’t believe this was still happening. He just stared at Jared. 

Jared eventually snapped out of it, clearing his throat as he got to his feet. He offered a hand down to Evan.

Evan stared at it for a long time. Finally, he took it gently, not even using it to pull himself up. “Sorry,” he mumbled. “I got this suit all dirty.”

Jared laughed lightly. “It's no big. Not even my suit, anyway.”

Evan blinked. “Oh, r-right.” They’d bought that suit just for him. He’d forgotten. 

Jared smiled. “You probably want to go home soon, huh?”

Evan looked down. “V-Very much so, yes.”

Jared nodded. “I can call a cab. You can go pick up your clothes and head home.”

“I-I guess you’ll send for me if you think I-” Evan cut himself off. “I guess you’ll send for me if you liked that kiss?”

Jared smiled, pressing a quick kiss to Evan's cheek. “I’ll send for you.”

Evan squeaked. “G-God– I’ll look forward to it.”

Jared nodded. “Me too.”

\-------

Four dates later, Evan still hadn’t told Jared he was cursed. He meant to, but it was just _hard_. Jared was royalty, not to mention amazing and handsome and– Evan had it bad for him. But he couldn’t just tell the prince he was horribly flawed. He could get in trouble for that! So he sat across from him in the fanciest restaurant he’d ever seen—the King’s request—and stared silently. 

Jared had a soft smile on his face. He found that he smiled a lot around Evan. He really liked him. Like, _really_ liked him. “What's on your mind?”

Evan didn’t technically lie. “This place is really nice. Just thinking about, um, McDonald’s in comparison.”

Jared hummed. “Would you prefer McDonald's? We can always skip out and go there instead, if you want. I don't mind.”

“N-No, I wanna see what you have to put up with when you go out to eat.” Evan was surprised the media wasn’t all over this. They’d been in public several times since the state park.

Jared laughed. “Feel my pain, Hansen.”

“I fully intend to,” Evan said softly, smiling a bit. 

Jared grinned, sipping at his drink. “How have you been? Sorry I couldn't see you sooner. Two weeks is far too long.”

Evan blushed. “I’ve been fine,” he said. “My mom was getting a little worried though. I-I hope you don’t mind, she’s the only person who really talks to me back home, and, well, I tell her everything. A-About us. She was getting afraid you’d changed your mind about me.” He laughed awkwardly, hoping it wasn’t true. 

Jared shook his head. “Changed my mind? Absolutely not. The opposite, actually.”

“Your mind...stayed the same?”

Jared chuckled. “No, Ev, I meant that I'm even more sure that I like you.”

Evan’s eyes lit up. “You are?”

Jared grinned, nodding. “Definitely.”

“I-I think I’m finally getting used to this,” Evan admitted. “This courting thing– Um, the fancy stuff. I like you too.” It had taken two all-nighters with his mother for Evan to accept that this was real. 

Jared was positively beaming. “Really? That's amazing!”

Evan smiled. “Y-Yeah! I think so!” 

Jared was bouncing in his seat excitedly. “Evan, that’s– that's so good! Oh my god!’’

“You think?” Evan was grinning now. “You’re really cute.”

Jared was instantly blushing. “Wh- I’m not cute! I'm… macho?”

“A cute macho,” Evan offered quietly. 

Jared pouted, but quickly devolved back into his grin. “You're cuter, anyway.”

“O-Oh, I...No.” Evan hated arguing with Jared, but he was right. 

Jared propped his chin up in one hand. “Are too.”

“I-I have to disagree, actually.”

Jared hummed. “Well I have to _royally_ disagree, Mr. Hansen.”

Evan smiled a little. “Can’t argue with that.”

Jared nodded. “Exactly.” He smiled again, fiddling with one of the many forks lined on the table. “So how does it feel knowing you have the Prince wrapped around your little finger?”

Evan didn’t feel like contradicting again. “Kinda scary to be honest.”

Jared nodded. “‘With great power’, Hansen,” he teased, blowing him a kiss.

Evan reddened. “I’ll use it responsibly,” he said. “Um– I’ve been meaning to ask, i-if it’s not weird, but– Where are all the-the reporters? Wouldn’t people want to know, um, that the prince has a–” He couldn’t even say it. It was too precious. 

Jared bit his lip. “Dad keeps them busy on our date days. Privacy, y’know?”

Evan nodded in understanding. “By the way,” he started. “S-Speaking of the k– of your father, um...do I need to impress him? O-or something? Is he gonna give me a...speech?” He didn’t know what to expect. He hadn’t even met the guy yet. 

Jared paused. “I… don't know. I've never… done this before.”

Evan fidgeted with a fork he couldn’t tell was different from the other myriad of forks beside his plate. “M-Me neither,” he added. 

Jared smiled nervously this time. “Then I guess we're in it together, right?”

Evan nodded, looking up. “Yeah, we are,” he agreed. “I-I’m glad.”

Jared softened. “Me too, Ev.”

Evan got an idea. “Y-You know, my mom isn’t home at this time of day.”

Jared blushed. “Oh?”

“A-And I’ve seen more of a castle than I’d ever dreamed of,” Evan continued. “S-So would you like to see my house?”

Jared grinned, nodding excitedly. “Absolutely!”

“You’re not disgusted by the thought of a commoner’s home?” Evan joked. He knew Jared wasn’t like that. 

Jared rolled his eyes, flicking a piece of bread at him. “Take me home, Evan.” he winked teasingly.

Evan rolled his eyes too, but felt his feet tingle. He stood up instantly. “Come on.”

\-----------

The guilt only drove Evan mad for about four more months until he finally decided he couldn’t keep secrets anymore. He was with the prince, in the castle garden, though they were supposed to be in the ballroom practicing their waltz for some event the king expected them to announce their courtship at. Jared had snuck them around back. Evan felt sweaty. It was now or never. “J-Jared?”

Jared turned to him with a smile. “Hm?”

Evan just needed to get it out. His mother had been nagging him to say it anyway. “Have you heard of, um, like, blessings? Like, magical blessings?”

Jared nodded curiously. “Of course, what about them?”

“Have you ever heard of one going wrong?”

Jared nodded again. “Like a curse, right?”

“Y-Yeah, exactly,” Evan said fidgeting. “I-I have one.”

Jared blinked. “Huh?”

“A-A curse. I was gonna tell you before! I swear! But I- I was afraid, and– I’m sorry.” Evan looked at his feet. 

Jared was quiet for a minute. “What kind of curse?”

Evan’s voice came back quiet. “G-Gift of obedience? All that straightforwardness that you liked– That’s not me, Jared.”

Jared's eyebrows furrowed. “Are you trying to mess with me? I thought curses were just old wives tales.”

“All wives tales have a basis in reality,” Evan muttered. 

Jared didn't believe him. “So you're saying if I tell you to do something it just happens whether you mean to or not?”

“Yes, exactly,” Evan answered, looking up. 

Jared's eyes narrowed. “So, if I said something like,” What was something Evan wouldn't fake? “Have an orgasm–” he blushed. What the fuck was wrong with him?

Evan’s eye twitched. “It doesn’t work with hypotheticals, you’d have to actually tell me to– Why would you say that anyway?!”

Jared blushed harder. “It was the first thing I thought of that I knew you wouldn't fake! There's no way you can physically get off just like that, I mean– 'Evan, cum right now.’ That can't–”

Evan turned impossibly red. “J-Jared–” It was too late for him to take it back. Evan hated that tingling feeling, yet here it was. He let out a strained noise as his body automatically completed the task. 

Jared's eyes widened and he yelped, face burning. “Ah! Wh-Wh— D-Did you really just- Holy fucking shit!”

Evan grabbed a sunflower and plucked it from the dirt, covering himself. “I told you!” he shouted. “You owe me new pants!”

Jared screeched, crouching down and burying his face in his hands. “Oh my god, I can't believe I just– I'm so sorry!”

“What the hell!” Evan was shaking. 

Jared groaned. “I'm an asshole.”

“Only that time,” Evan grumbled. God, that was uncomfortable. He needed new clothes. 

Jared groaned again. “Fuck. Okay. Let's– new pants. Let's go to my room real quick.” He huffed, getting to his feet and brushing off his shirt despite it not being dirty.

Evan didn’t move. He didn’t want to walk in these pants. “I–” He shook his head. 

Jared frowned. “Well what do you want to do? I can't just– leave you like this.”

“I know that, Jared!” Evan sighed. “This is a palace, it should have pants somewhere!”

“I do! In my _room_!”

“That’s miles away!” Evan exaggerated. 

Jared threw his hands up. “Do you just want to wear _my_ pants, then?”

Evan sputtered. “That’s better than walking around with my–” He didn’t want to finish that sentence. “Kind of, _your majesty_.” He’d gotten to calling Jared that as a joke rather than a formality over the months. 

Jared rolled his eyes, turning away and quickly stripping from his pants, leaving him in just his boxers. He held them out blindly. “Fine then,” he paused. “So a curse, huh?”

Evan grabbed Jared’s pants and awkwardly switched them for his behind a garden shrub. “Yeah, since birth.”

Jared nodded thoughtfully. “Have you ever lied to me? Because of the curse?”

“No,” Evan reassured. “You told me to be honest. Even if I wanted to, I couldn’t.”

Jared nodded again. “Then it's fine, right? You're still my Evan.”

Evan smiled despite the situation. “I-I’m your Evan if you still want me.”

Jared took Evan's hand, kissing the back of it. “I’ll always want you, Evan Hansen.”

“Charming,” Evan said, red again. He’d gotten better around Jared, but that just made it easier for the prince to fluster him. 

Jared bowed dramatically. “As always.” That was very not true. Jared was actually quite clumsy when it came to most things, and this had become obvious very quickly. “Should we go inside now? I should probably get some pants.”

Evan looked him up and down in mock thought. “Yeah, let’s do that.” He was upset about the...incident, but overall just glad Jared didn’t hate him. 

Jared linked their fingers, carefully leading Evan inside. “I'm sorry I did that. It was fucked up.”

“Hey, we can just forget it. You didn’t believe me, it was...actually a smart way to test the truth.” Evan smiled. Jared could be really clever when he tried. 

Jared blushed. “Still.. not very nice of me. It's not like you even consented.”

“I’m still a virgin,” Evan tried to reassure. Maybe that wasn’t the best way. 

Jared jolted slightly, blushing harder. “G-Good. Me too.”

Evan nodded awkwardly. “G-Great,” he said for lack of something better. It didn’t matter if Jared was a virgin or not, really. 

Jared cleared his throat awkwardly. “Uh, this way to my room. Be on the lookout, we have to go by the conference room.”

“Are they conferencing?” Evan was curious now. 

Jared nodded. “Dad is answering questions about the stupid thing we're supposed to dance at.”

“Oh,” Evan said dumbly. “He wants us going public, huh?”

Jared nodded. “I guess so. Is that okay?”

Evan blinked. “Yeah, it’s fine,” he promised. “But am I gonna get famous?” He really didn’t want to. 

Jared hummed. “I'm not sure. But if you need me to make sure that people keep off your ass I can.”

“We’ll see,” Evan said quietly. He wanted to come public, but only so they didn’t have to do so much hiding. His mother had met Jared, but she told them spending time at Evan’s house may not be very good at secret keeping. 

Jared nodded. “This is exciting, though, isn't it? Like.. level two!”

“Like in a video game?” Evan had an XBox, but he rarely played it. 

Jared nodded. “Level two of dating!”

“Don’t levels get harder?”

Jared shrugged. “Not necessarily. Just… more, y'know?”

“I guess,” Evan said. “Is that the conference room?” He gestured toward a big door cracked open with camera flashes coming from inside. 

Jared grimaced. “Yep. Horrible place, really. So tense.”

Evan winced. “Sorry,” he said. “I’ve been in the conference room in my school before. A pizza party was in there. It was...okay.”

Jared laughed, pausing to give Evan a quick kiss. “You're so cute.”

Evan’s cheeks reddened. “You’re cuter. And I can’t lie to you.”

Jared smiled. “I feel like you're biased, here.”

Evan’s eyes sparkled. “Probably.”

Jared couldn't help it. He leaned in to kiss him again. How was he expected to resist, with his eyes all shiny and perfect like that?

Evan didn’t let Jared pull away as quickly as before. He really loved Jared’s kisses. He had only fainted that once. 

Jared smiled against Evan's lips, pulling their bodies flush. He loved kissing Evan, not only because of the kisses themselves but also because it seemed to be something that Evan got fairly confident with.

Evan’s hands gently rested on Jared’s shoulders. It felt weird, kissing in the open like this, so close to a room full of people, but there was no way he was going to pull away first. 

Jared did pull away first, but only so that he could start trailing gentle kisses down Evan's cheek and jaw.

Evan giggled a little. Jared did this sometimes, and Evan didn’t think he’d ever get over it. It was sweet, and cute, considering Jared’s height. Evan’s jaw was probably the closest thing he could kiss without leaning up. 

Jared smiled, kissing Evan's nose. “I'm glad you're courting me.”

Evan grinned. “Me too.” 

Jared leaned up to peck his lips one more time before moving to pull away. Or at least, he would've, if not for the sudden eruption of murmurs from the direction of the conference room.

Evan whipped around, fear in his eyes. “What’s happening?!”

Jared paled. “Fuck, the meeting is over, they're about to come out, we need to go.” He pulled away, tugging at Evan's wrist.

Evan stood still. “My shoe’s untied!”

Jared shook his head in disbelief. “Evan!”

“I could trip!” He bent over to tie it. 

Jared watched, gaping, as reporters began pouring out of the doors. Oh fuck.

Evan gulped, still bent over. “J-Jared?”

Jared winced, eyes closed tightly. “Oh geez,” he muttered. They had definitely done it now. “Evan, come on. Let's go!” He pulled at his wrist again.

Evan took off running. He didn’t need to be told to come on more than once. 

Jared led him all the way back to his room, where he slammed the door shut behind them, making sure to lock it. “Fuck.”

Evan was prepared to hyperventilate. “Did they see us?!”

Jare hesitated. “I'm not sure.”

“What if they did?! They– What if they _did_?!”

Jared hushed him, putting a soothing hand on his shoulder. “Ev, calm down, it’ll be fine. At the most we just won't have to go to that stupid ball, right? It's fine.”

Evan sniffled. “What if I wanted to go to that stupid ball?” He felt calmer, but probably only because Jared told him to. 

Jared brought his other hand up to Evan's cheek. “Then we still can. It's okay. Nothing bad is going to happen.”

“O-Okay,” Evan said, leaning into Jared’s touch. “I trust you.”

Jared smiled, running his fingers through Evan's hair. “Wanna take a nap?”

Evan’s eyes glanced over to Jared’s huge bed. “On that?” 

Jared snorted. “Preferably.”

“Can we?” Evan’s eyes lit up. 

Jared's smile widened. “Of course!”

Evan grinned. “Great! I barely got sleep last night. I stayed up studying for a calc test.”

“Gross.”

Evan’s grin disappeared. “Sorry.”

Jared shook his head “I was kidding, Ev. When's the test?”

“Oh. Um– I already had it. Probably failed. It was this morning.”

Jared pressed a kiss to his forehead. “I'm sure you aced it.”

“It would be the first,” Evan mumbled. “Nap time?”

Jared nodded, pulling him towards the bed. “Nap time!”

“Wait! Shouldn’t we change clothes?” Evan gestured to their pants, and in Jared’s case, lack of. 

Jared shrugged, pulling off his shirt. He strutted over to the dresser, pulling out two pairs of flannel pants. He tossed one over.

“Oh,” Evan muttered. He didn’t know what he had expected. He caught the pants, hesitating. 

Jared pulled his on, turning away from Evan. “I won't peek.” he paused. “Unless you want me to.”

Evan began changing. “I-I think you’ve seen enough today.”

Jared chuckled. “You always keep me on a short leash, Hansen. Impressive.”

Evan smiled. “Well, I’ll always be holding it unless you don’t watch what you tell me to do.” He was tired, and could tell he was starting to not make a lot of sense. 

Jared blinked. “Let's go to bed, Ev. “

Evan’s smile faded. “Right, s-sorry.” He waited for Jared to get on the bed first. 

Jared frowned, pulling Evan with him. “You always get sad like that, Ev.” He kissed the corners of Evan's mouth. “I'm not upset with you or put off by what you said, I just feel like you've had a long day.”

Evan nodded. “I-I have, sorry. School’s getting pretty hard. I’m just a little overwhelmed.” Understatement. 

Jared pulled him into the bed, dragging the covers over them. “You deserve a break.” He pressed a loving kiss to Evan's cheek.

“Unless you can get me a month of excused absences, one nap isn’t gonna cut it,” Evan said. He settled into the mattress easily. 

Jared quirked an eyebrow. “Done.” Evan did know he was the prince, right?

“Mm, better make it three months to be sure,” Evan whispered sleepily. “That should be enough.” He knew it wouldn’t happen. 

Jared nodded. “Okay. It's done.”

Evan laughed. “Hah, yeah, that’s the dream,” he whispered even quieter. “Nap time.”

Jared cuddled up to Evan's chest. “Good night, Ev.”

—————

When Evan woke up, he didn’t know what time it was. He sat up, disrupting Jared’s snuggle position. 

Jared grumbled softly, arms wrapping around Evan's waist.

Evan laid back down, but poked Jared’s cheeks. “J?”

Jared hummed, scrunching his nose up. “Hm?”

“Wh-What time is it?” Evan asked softly. 

“Mm,” Jared cracked an eye open to glance at his phone. “8am.”

“Oh,” Evan said. “Wait– 8am?! School’s at 8:30! Jared! That was supposed to be a nap!” He bolted up again. 

Jared grumbled, burrowing farther into the blankets. “Don’t worry 'bout it, Evvie, Terrance will drive ya.” Terrance was Jared's driver.

Evan was familiar with Terrance. He was who usually drove him to the palace and back home. “But my clothes– My backpack– Shit, I’m gonna be so late!”

Jared hummed sleepily. “I’ll call 'em and excuse you.”

“I don’t want to take advantage of your position, Jared.” 

Jared waved him off. “'s already done, babe, don't worry about it.”

“R-Right,” Evan said. He got off the bed and leaned down to kiss Jared softly. “I left those pants in the garden, you know.”

Jared laughed sleepily. “I'll get them and have em cleaned.”

“Thanks, J,” Evan said, smiling. “I really need to go now. I’ll be back today?”

Jared smiled, pulling him down for one last kiss. “Have a good day, sweetie.”

“I’ll try,” Evan whispered, hurrying out the door and toward the only room he knew other than Jared’s—the garage. 

Jared waited about an hour after Evan left to call the school, personally talking to the principal. Evan's three month break would start today.

Which meant, when Evan returned three hours later, he was extremely confused. The king’s personal servant showed him to Jared’s room, leaving him to knock for himself, which he did, albeit stiffly. 

Jared opened the door, pulling Evan in and shutting it back behind them. “Finally,” he muttered, pulling Evan back to the bed. “We can get back to cuddling.”

Evan let Jared pull him as he pleased, but he sputtered the whole way. “W-Wait, I-I have questions,” he spouted. 

Jared climbed into bed, tugging Evan in beside him. “Yes?”

Evan gulped. “Why did Principal Howard say I didn’t have to come back to school for another _three months_?”

Jared pulled the blankets over them after removing Evan's shoes. “That's what you wanted, remember?”

Evan blinked. “As a sleep fueled fantasy!”

Jared kissed his cheek. “Now it's a sleep fueled reality!”

“You can’t just– You can’t do that, Jared! I need school! To graduate and get into college and make money to survive! Basic human things!” Evan was exasperated but decidedly not angry. 

Jared pouted. “I know, but that doesn't mean you can't take a break, y’know. Besides, if you stay with me I can provide all that stuff for you and you can just do things that make you happy.”

Evan froze. “I-Isn’t that, like, m-marriage?”

Jared froze too. “Uh. Maybe. Is that– Does that upset you?”

“Absolutely not.”

Jared grinned. “It doesn't?”

“Not...directly. Th-The prince stuff is what’s scary.” Evan paused. “But I have, um, news.”

Jared's eyebrows furrowed. “News?”

“Uh, yeah.” Evan dug out his phone from his pocket. “A girl I know, Alana, stopped me before I could get in the school. She showed me this.” He turned his phone around, showing a photo of Jared and himself, Jared in his underwear and Evan in Jared’s pants. The press had taken it yesterday. “Jared, it’s _everywhere_. Everyone at school knows about us. They wouldn’t leave me alone!”

Jared frowned, eyeing the picture. “Well it's a good thing you're off for a while, then. Give this time to die down. As for what to do about it, well.. I'm sure someone here will get it taken down, and the ball is in two days, so our relationship will be public and this won't seem so interesting anymore.”

“Are you sure? People asked me for _autographs_! It was so– It was overwhelming.” Evan sighed. 

Jared ran a soothing hand down Evan's arm. “I'm sorry, Ev.”

Evan settled down into the bed finally. “At least I’ve got a whole three months for it to die down, right? You said that.”

Jared smiled, cuddling up to Evan like before. “Exactly!”

Evan smiled too. “You always make me feel better.”

Jared dropped his head on to Evan's chest, listening to his heart beat. “I always want to make you feel better. You make me happy.”

“N-No offense, but how can I– I mean, how can someone like me make you happy? You have everything.” Evan really hoped he didn’t make Jared mad. 

Jared hummed, tracing random patterns over Evan's chest. “Because you're amazing. You're kind, and funny, and sweet, and caring, and so _pretty_ , and you see me for _me_. That's all I could ever ask for, Evan.”

Evan felt a tear creep out of his eye. “I really like you, Jared. I say that a lot, but– I think you saved my life.”

Jared was quiet, his hand never stilling. “I love you, Evan.”

“Y-You do?”

Jared didn't risk looking up. “I do. I really really do.”

“Jared?”

“Yeah?”

“I love you too.”

Jared didn't expect to cry. His fingers clenched in Evan's shirt. “I'm so happy.”

“A-Are you okay?” Evan knew Jared just said he was happy, but he was also crying, and that usually indicated a lot of emotions. He forgot he himself was crying, too. 

Jared sniffled, burying his face into Evan's shirt. “Yeah. More than okay, actually.”

Evan cradled Jared’s head in one hand, running his fingers through his impossibly soft hair. “Good,” he whispered. “Because I have one more question.”

Jared sniffled again, letting out a watery laugh. “Yeah?”

“W-Will you help me lift this curse?”

Jared didn't even hesitate. “Yes.”

“You’re serious?” Evan squeaked. Not even his mother knew he regarded his gift as a curse, much less wanted to help him get rid of it. 

Jared nodded. “100%.”

“Well– That’s perfect! Do you know anything about lifting curses?!” Evan vibrated under the blankets. 

Jared laughed a little. “No, but I think I have connections. We’ll figure it out.”

“And you won’t abandon me in the middle of the quest?” Evan had heard of that happening. Rarely, people got betrayed on their way to achieve a magical end. 

Jared scoffed at the very thought. “Never in a million years.”

“Then I don’t have any more questions,” Evan said. “I-I imagine it would be best to get this done before the ball.”

Jared nodded. “We can start in an hour.”

“An hour?”

Jared smiled guiltily. “I want to cuddle some more,” he admitted.

“What a dork.” Evan couldn’t be happier. 

Jared pressed a kiss to Evan's chest, right over his heart. “Your dork.”

Evan grinned. “Royal dork.”

Jared snorted. “Prince dork to you, buddy.”

“Prince dork,” Evan corrected. He poked Jared’s side. “Squishy prince dork.”

Jared scoffed playfully. “Not all of us can be as in shape as you, tree boy.”

“That’s not my fault! I like your squish. It’s endearing.” Evan poked him again. 

Jared scrunched his nose up. “You're gay.”

“I’m bisexual, thanks,” Evan said in mock annoyance. 

Jared grinned, leaning up to kiss him. “ _I’m_ gay.”

“Super gay,” Evan whispered, kissing him again. 

Jared kissed him a third time. “The most gay.”

“That’s fantastic, Jared. Wouldn’t want you any other way.”

Jared grinned, pressing himself into Evan's side. “I love you.”

“Love you too,” Evan said sweetly. It felt nice to say it. 

They laid together happily for a while longer, enjoying each other's presence. After about thirty minutes though, Jared spoke up again. “Do you know anything about where the curse came from?”

Evan grimaced. “Uh, not really. Just that whoever did it focused on birth gifts.”

Jared nodded, humming thoughtfully. “Have you asked your mother about it?”

Evan shook his head. “I tried once, but she said not to again. I couldn’t refuse.”

Jared grimaced. “Why would she do that? Doesn't she want you to be happy?”

“She probably wants me to live with this. It makes me easier to manage. Less of a burden. She’s busy a lot. She can bypass my anxiety this way, you know? Instead of avoiding ordering food because of a delivery guy, she can make me strike up a conversation with the clerk in a grocery store.” Evan sighed. 

Jared's grimace turned into a frown. “That's kinda fucked up.”

“That’s all I can think of. That has to be why.” Evan shrugged. 

Jared hummed. “Well, she’ll just have to suck it up, then. Because we're gonna get rid of it, by tomorrow.”

Evan bit his lip. “Promise?”

Jared held up a hand, extending his pinky. “Absolutely.”

Evan instantly wrapped his own pinky finger around Jared’s. “Thanks, Jared. P-People have walked all over me for as long as I can remember. If– If marriage is something we end up doing, I don’t think someone should be able to make me do anything they want.” He didn’t mention how that would affect a potential prince or king, but left it implied. 

Jared gulped, nodding. “Well, you won't have to worry about that much longer.”

Evan shifted on the bed. “I don’t even know what it’s like to disobey. Is it a rush? I’ve always thought it would be invigorating.”

Jared laughed, kissing Evan softly. “You're more adorable every day.”

Evan smiled, blushing. “Just wait until I hit my peak, prince dork.”

Jared laughed again, kissing the back of Evan's hand. “I eagerly await the day.”

“Just like I await the day you could possibly get cuter than you are now.” Evan grinned. 

Jared giggled, rolling his eyes. “We should probably get up. Get to work on fuckin’ this curse, y’know?”

Evan’s smile faded. “Yeah,” he said. “Do you know where to start?”

Jared sat up, stretching out his back. “I have some ideas.”

“Lead the way, Mr. ‘I can get you three months of school off if you just so much as mention it’.” Evan sat up too. 

Jared snorted, winking at Evan. “That's just how I roll, babe.”

“You’re such a mystery,” Evan said, sighing. He stood up. 

\--------

The first person Jared contacted was the royal soothsayer. He met the pair of teens within the hour.

Evan was seated next to Jared on a tiny bench in a small room he couldn’t remember the way out of. He shifted nervously. Was Jared going to lead this? He was the prince after all, but this was also Evan’s problem. He stayed quiet. 

Jared exchanged customary pleasantries with the old man before finally getting down to business. “We're looking for a way to break a curse. Can you help us?”

The old man quirked an eyebrow. “What kind of curse?”

Evan decided it was his turn to speak. His voice came out squeaky. “O-Obedience?”

The man hummed thoughtfully. “Sounds like one of ol’ Maggie's spells. 'Gifts,” he scoffed. “I'd like to see one youngin’ who liked those damned things.”

Evan was suddenly on the edge of the bench. “M-Maggie? Is that who– You know about this?!”

The old man laughed. “Oh, son, Maggie and I go way back. Then again, most people do when you're as old as I am,” he joked. “Yeah, she lives up in that dingy forest, spends her time out there making nonsense 'gifts’ for needy children. Hell of a woman, though, if you boys catch my drift.”

Evan grimaced. “Uh, r-right. Can you...tell her to hit us up with a fix?” He smiled sweetly. 

The man shrugged. “Yeah I suppose I can. I believe I owe a favor to the prince, anyway.” 

Jared nodded. “That you do, old man. This’ll be what I'm using it for.”

He nodded. “Fine, fine. I'll have your fix sometime tomorrow. Now scram, I have things to do.”

Evan’s feet tingled, and he instantly stood up, wordlessly pulling Jared all the way out—a path he thought he had forgotten. “S-Sorry,” he said once they were gone. “He said to scram, so…” He still felt like he needed to explain himself. 

Jared shook his head. “It's fine, Ev. More importantly, holy shit! That was way easier than I expected!”

“Uh, yeah!” Evan agreed. “By the way– What just happened? He owed you something?”

Jared waved it off. “Not important. What is important is the fact that tomorrow you'll be cured!”

“I-I think it’s a little important why that man owed you something, Jared.” Was Evan overstepping his boundaries? Well, the real question was did Evan care? No he did not. 

Jared shrugged. “If you really want to know, it's because I caught him smoking up on the throne in the middle of the night once. That guy lives a wild life.”

Evan gasped. “What the hell? Seriously?” He shook his head. “Jeez. But you really didn’t have to use your favor on me. I could have handled it. It’s my curse.”

Jared laughed, shaking his head. “I wanted to, Ev, don't worry about it.”

Evan shrugged. “O-Okay, then.” He sighed. “So that’s it? We just wait?”

Jared hummed. “We can do something, if you want. I'm down for whatever.” 

“Well, I guess I don’t have to worry about school for the time being, huh?” Evan thought for a moment. “We do what I want a lot. I wanna do something you choose.”

Jared paused, blushing. “Something I choose? Ev, I don't really do much. Actually, my favorite thing to do is see you.”

Evan felt his cheeks grow warm. “Don’t you like computers, J? Show me a computer!” He really wanted to repay Jared for all he’d done for him.

Jared laughed, pinching Evan's cheek. “Cutie. Okay, sure. I’ll show you my nerdy computer stuff. Maybe we can find a game to play together.”

Evan grinned. He kissed Jared’s forehead. “That sounds perfect. Teach me how to use your fancy big boy computer.”

Jared snorted, rolling his eyes. “Come on then, big boy,” he teased, pulling Evan down the hall. 

Evan didn’t have to be told twice. He was excited anyway, to see Jared’s passions. He’d experienced glimpses, but not nearly enough. He wanted to see what made Jared happy—before they’d met, anyway. 

\-------

In the end, the boys ended up in Jared's game room. They were sitting on the floor, Jared's back against the couch and Evan in his lap. Jared had is arms wrapped around Evan's middle as he watched him play one of his favorite games– Fable II- and teased him mercilessly. “Evan, I'm telling you, you _really_ shouldn't bring your date out into the woods like this. You say you love him but this feels like a death sentence.”

“I do love him!” Evan cried. “I loved him ever since the game said I could hold his hand! He’s wonderful and we’re going on a quest together and that’s final.”

Jared laughed unattractively, not bothering to filter himself to seem 'princely’. “You haven't even started romancing him! You're just taking him with you!”

“We’re taking things slow!”

Jared laughed again. “You literally just walked up to him and grabbed his hand! You haven't said a single word to him!”

Evan huffed and looked at the screen. “Hi, Alex, you’re cute and datable, you’re coming with me.”

Jared would've said something else, but just then a group of highwaymen appeared, weapons drawn. “Evan! Alex is gonna get killed!”

Evan scoffed. “He’s a program, why would they make him killable?”

Jared shook his head. “Evan, he literally just died.”

“What?!” Evan stared at the screen. “What the hell?!”

“I told you!”

“I loved him!”

Jared yelped. “Evan, they're still attacking you!”

“I don’t care, Jared! Let me die! Life isn’t worth it without Alex!”

“Evan!”

“Bring Alex back!” Evan felt like he’d cry. 

“I can't!”

“He’ll respawn, right?!”

Jared blinked. “I don't know.”

“He will!” Evan restarted the game completely, following his steps from before until he reached the place he’d found Alex in the first place. Except, no Alex. “What the hell, Jared?! He was right here! I started a new game!”

Jared shrugged. “They're NPC’s, Ev, he's probably wandering around somewhere.”

Evan looked everywhere. “He’s _gone_!”

Jared leaned his chin on Evan's shoulder. “Huh. That is kinda weird.”

“G-Google him. I wanna know how to find him again.” Evan sniffled. He put the controller down and lifted a hand to pull Jared’s cheek closer to his own. 

Jared smiled, turning to kiss Evan's cheek before pulling his phone out and holding it in front of them as he brought up the Fable wiki. “Huh.”

“What? What’s ‘huh’?” Evan frowned. 

“No NPC named Alex.”

Evan blinked. “What...does that mean?”

“He isn't in the game?”

“But he just _was_.”

Jared turned his phone off. “Weird.”

“That’s not possible.”

Jared hummed. “Congrats, babe, you broke reality.”

“Did I?” Evan really had no clue how this could happen. 

“Apparently.”

“I don’t want to play without Alex.”

Jared laughed. “Well damn.”

“Bring him back and I’ll kiss you.” Evan pouted. 

Jared pouted back. “Evan, I literally can't.”

“Then no kisses I guess.”

Jared scoffed, taking the controller. “I can't believe I have to compete with one of my favorite games for the affection of my boyfriend.”

“You could give me Alex or something of equal merit to win my affection back,” Evan said professionally. 

Jared hummed as he tilted his head down just enough to kiss at Evan's neck while still able to see the screen. “And what,” he asked between kisses. “Would be something of equal merit?”

Evan shuddered. “A smile?”

Jared nipped at Evan's skin lightly, not responding.

“Two smiles?” Evan offered, not leaning away. 

Jared smiled against Evan's neck, sucking lightly.

Evan’s voice cracked. “Three?”

Jared put the controller down, his hands teasing just underneath Evan's shirt, ghosting over his stomach. He sucked a bit harder.

Evan nearly whimpered. “A-Are you giving me a royal hickey?” Jared’s hands were surprisingly warm. 

“Mhm,” Jared hummed, eyes falling closed. He licked over the patch of skin, biting at it again.

Evan’s breath hitched. “Were you planning this the whole time?” he whispered. 

Jared pulled away slightly, his breath still fanning over Evan's damp skin. “No, but it's a pleasant surprise, no?”

Evan nodded a little. “I-It really is.” He was finally starting to feel less overwhelmed by life. 

Jared smiled, wrapping his arms around Evan's middle more tightly. He pressed a kiss over where he had just created a small hickey, resting his chin on Evan's shoulder once again as he rocked them slightly.

Evan melted into Jared’s arms. “I wish this was all life was,” he mumbled, enjoying the warmth and presence of his boyfriend. 

“Mm, one day, Ev,” Jared whispered. “One day it will be.”

Evan had a thousand arguments, but kept quiet. He could believe that for a day. 

\-----------

Jared woke up with a very sore back, but he figured it was definitely worth it when he looked down at Evan, still sleeping against his chest.

Evan’s lips were parted slightly and his head leaned back on Jared’s shoulder. 

Jared smiled, shaking him lightly. “Ev?”

Evan stirred. “Hnn?”

Jared ran his hand up and down Evan's sides soothingly. “Good morning, sunshine.”

Evan opened his eyes. “Morning?” Was it morning again? Had he slept over _again_ without his mom’s permission?

Jared pressed a kiss to Evan's cheek. “We fell asleep, I guess.”

“I-Is it really morning?” Evan asked, starting to panic. 

Jared paused, grabbing his phone. “No, we only slept for three hours.”

Evan let out a breath. “Thank god. I can’t keep staying here without letting my mom know. No amount of royal excuses will make her any less worried.”

Jared didn't respond, just yawning softly. He didn't want to get up.

Evan continued his rambling anyway. “She’s already swamped, you know. People asking where I am and all kinds of questions about you. I wish they’d leave her alone. She’s too busy for this.”

Jared grunted in acknowledgement. “D’ya want me to talk to Dad about it? See if he can't find a way to calm things down?”

“I don’t think it could do anything, J. The public always finds a way.” Evan grimaced. 

“Yeah, but I wish I could help somehow since it is my fault, y’know?”

“It’s not your fault, Jared.”

Jared sighed. “It is.”

“It’s not your fault you were born royal any more than it’s my fault that I wasn’t.”

Jared was quiet for a second. “Kiss me?”

Evan looked at him. “Is that a question or an order?”

“Whichever you prefer.”

Evan didn’t really have a preference. He kissed Jared either way. 

Jared sighed into the kiss, holding Evan close. He pulled away slightly to whisper, eyes still closed. “You're too good for me, Evan Hansen.”

“I’m not good enough for you, Jared,” Evan argued. 

Jared frowned, pressing a series of short sweet kisses to Evan's lips. “Don't say that, Ev, you're so perfect. Kind and sweet and funny and adorable.”

Evan shook his head. “You’re much kinder than I am. You’re the first person _ever_ who didn’t use me for my curse.”

“That's just being a decent human being!”

“Then take me right here right now, because that’s the nicest thing anyone’s ever...not done.” Evan sighed. 

Jared's face lit up in a blush. “Jeez, Ev, what a bold way to put it.” 

“Sorry, I think I’m having mood swings.” Evan blinked. “My mind doesn’t want to accept that the solution was so easy, so it’s going crazy. I think.”

“One of your moods is telling me to 'take you right here and now’?”

“It’s always floating around up here,” Evan muttered, tapping the side of his head. 

Jared laughed. “Maybe you should let it out sometime.”

“Maybe I will,” Evan said quietly. 

Jared purred, his fingers finding their way under Evan's shirt again, ghosting over his rib cage. “Oh?”

Evan shuddered. “We’ll see how it goes.” He meant to kiss Jared properly, but got his nose instead. 

Jared chuckled, pecking Evan's lips. “I guess we will.”

Evan smiled. This was definitely of equal merit. 

They stayed like that for a bit until Jared pouted. “You probably have to go home soon, huh?’’

“My mom wants me to, so, yeah,” Evan said. “But it’s okay. I can brave the crowds. For you.” 

“Just a little while longer, okay?”

Evan smiled. “Of course.” He kissed Jared’s chin. 

Jared laughed happily. “I love you.”

“I love you, too,” Evan said sweetly. 

Jared kissed Evan on the lips easily. “Every time you leave is harder than the last.”

“It’s no easier for me, J,” Evan promised. 

Jared smiled, nuzzling his cheek against Evan's. “Maybe there will come a day when you won't have to leave.”

Evan felt his cheek warm against Jared’s. “That would be amazing,” he whispered. He wanted that so badly. In the months he’d gotten to know the prince, he had really fallen in love. Too bad true love’s kiss didn’t solve his problems. 

\----------

Jared sighed, staring down at Evan's hand as he held it, rubbing soothing circles with his thumb. They were sat in Jared's car, outside of Evan's house. “Guess you gotta go,” he murmured.

Evan nodded sadly. “Looks like mom scared the crowd away for now. I’d better get in before it’s back.” He put a finger from his free hand under Jared’s chin and gently tilted his head up. “I’ll be back first thing tomorrow. I-I’ll find a way. I mean, no school, remember?” He laughed a little. 

Jared smiled, heart thumping. “Right.” He paused. “Kiss?”

Evan kissed Jared softly. “Bye,” he muttered. 

Jared nodded, stealing another quick kiss. “Bye.”

Evan sighed and got out of Jared’s car, careful with the door. He’d have to explain to his mother why he suddenly got a three month vacation. That should go over well. 

Jared watched Evan make his way inside before he pulled away. God, it really did get harder every time.

————-

By morning, Evan had signed eighty four autographs and declined ten separate interviews. He wasn’t in the mood for it, and by some sort of force of good luck, no one had ordered him to comply. He was exhausted. The crowd now was larger than it had been. Heidi had gone to work—how she’d gotten past the people in their driveway, Evan had no idea. He needed to get to the palace, to see Jared, but there was no way he could escape. He tried calling his boyfriend instead. 

Jared, as usual, picked up Evan's call on the third ring. “Ev, hey, what's up!?”

Evan spoke quietly, as if the people outside could hear. “J-Jared, I’m stuck,” he whispered. 

Jared's cheerful tone instantly turned concerned. “Stuck? Where? What do you need? Are you at home? I can be there in like ten minutes-”

“I-I’m at home, yeah,” Evan confirmed. “You don’t h-have to do anything, I-I just thought you should know.”

“I’ll be there in seven minutes.”

Evan’s eyes widened. “I said you didn’t have to do anything!”

Jared laughed softly. “I love you, Evan.”

“Well, I love you, too, but--” Evan decided arguing would be a moot point. He sighed, breath shaky. “Fine.”

“Do you want to stay on the phone?”

Evan looked through the window, instantly yelping and backing up. How were there even _more_ people here? Who even leaked his address? “K-Kinda,” he stuttered. 

Jared smiled. “Okay.” He became muffled for a second as he covered the phone's receiver, yelling something Evan couldn't quite make out. “How was your morning, aside from the obvious?”

Evan would have to ask about that later. “It was okay,” he said, sitting on the floor under his window. “Mom actually made breakfast today, so that was cool.”

“Oh yeah? What’d she make?”

“Toast with jam,” Evan answered. 

Jared hummed. “Better than me. I had Pepsi.”

“Jared! That’s not a good breakfast! I’m making you a to-go plate of toast.” 

Jared chuckled. “Thanks, sweetie. You don't have to do that, though. I'm fine, really.”

“Too late!” Evan was in the kitchen already, putting a plate together. 

Jared laughed again. “Did you tell your mom about the vacation?”

Evan put his phone on speaker so he could prepare the food. “Uh, yeah, she wasn’t too happy. But she’s glad I’m doing better.”

Jared hummed in affirmation. “Did you tell her about our.. deal?”

Evan was quiet for a moment. “No,” he said finally. “I don’t want her trying to make me back out before it’s done.”

Jared was quiet for a minute. “I'm at your door. The people are gone, it's okay.”

Evan’s eyes widened. He rushed to the door, plate in hand, and looked through the window. No one was outside except Jared. “Oh my god!” Evan hung up the phone call and opened the door. “How did you do that?!”

Jared smiled at him. “Perks of royalty,” he shrugged.

“Honestly, sometimes I think you’re a wizard.”

Jared scrunched his nose up playfully. “A gay wizard.”

“Dumbledore?” Evan looked over Jared’s shoulder. “Is that a different car from yesterday?”

Jared hummed noncommittally. “Can I come in?”

Evan stepped back. “Yeah, of course.”

Jared stepped in, pecking Evan on the lips. “Good morning.”

Evan’s face softened. “Good morning, J. Um, have you heard anything from that creepy old guy?”

Jared bit his lip. “I have, actually.”

“Oh! And?!” Evan was suddenly eager. 

Jared pulled a phial out from behind his back. It contained an odd blue liquid.

Evan stared at it. “I gotta drink that? That’s it? Please tell me that’s it.”

Jared smiled. “That's it.”

“No catch?”

Jared paused. “It won't work for 12 hours, and you won't be able to say anything from now till then.”

“ _What?!_ ” Evan shrieked. “For twelve hours?! That’s– I can’t tell you I love you for twelve hours?!”

Jared melted, kissing Evan again. “Unfortunately.”

Evan gulped. “Can I get some stuff off my chest, then?”

Jared blinked. “Okay?”

Evan took a deep breath. “Okay. First of all, I-I’m mad. I’m angry that this was so easy. I just needed to say it. I think I did yesterday, but– I’m just mad. S-Second of all, there’s absolutely no way I can thank you enough for this. I-I really do love you so much, Jared. This is the best thing to happen to me. You’re the best thing to happen to me.” He nodded as if he were finished, but started again. “O-Oh, by the way, it’s probably trivial, but earlier on the phone, what were you yelling? I couldn’t tell.”

Jared paused, taking in the small rant. “Uh, okay, well, I love you too. More than you could ever know. And as for what I was telling, well,” he laughed a bit. “I was telling Terrance to draw the crowd away from your house.”

Evan found himself somehow holding each of Jared’s hands in his own. “That’s it? It really was trivial, huh? I don’t know what I expected.”

Jared pecked Evan's lips again. “Expecting me to have a side hoe or something? Don't worry, sweetie, all I need is right here.” He squeezed Evan's hands lightly.

Evan smiled sheepishly. “You don’t have a side hoe?”

Jared shook his head. “Don't need one, weirdly enough.”

“So weird,” Evan agreed, grinning now. “Guess I should drink that stuff now, huh?”

“Yeah,” Jared muttered, hesitating. “Will you say it one more time, first?”

Evan kissed Jared first that time. “I love you, J.”

Jared smiled. “I love you too. Okay, here.” He handed over the phial.

Evan popped it open. “Will it taste bad?”

Jared shrugged. “No idea.”

“Great.” Evan grimaced. Now or never. The curse he’d dealt with for nearly eighteen years was closer to being gone than it ever had been. He downed the liquid in a fast motion. It tasted not _bad_ , but sort of like metal. Like hands smell when you deal with change. 

Jared watched carefully, making sure nothing happened to him. “You okay?”

Evan coughed. He tried to say yes, but it felt like he just had no vocal chords at all. At least it didn’t hurt. He was afraid of that. He nodded instead. 

Jared nodded back. “Good.” Now what?

Evan figured he’d need to communicate somehow, and he doubted Jared knew sign language. He grabbed the prince’s hand and dragged him upstairs to his bedroom, going toward the corner in which he kept his backpack. 

Jared stood by the bed, flopping down on it unceremoniously.

Evan searched through his backpack for his notebook and an old chewed up sharpie. He flipped the book open and pulled the cap off the marker with his teeth, rushing over to sit next to Jared. He instantly wrote something out, shoving it at his boyfriend. A simple ‘hi’. 

Jared looked at it, smiling. “Hey. How does it feel knowing you'll be better in twelve hours?”

Evan grinned, scribbling down another message. ‘Kinda scary.’

Jared nodded. “I love you no matter what happens.”

Evan felt his smile falter. ‘It’ll work, right?’

Jared nodded quickly. “Definitely! Don't worry, Ev, it’ll be fine.”

Evan kissed Jared’s cheek. ‘What do we do now?’

Jared hummed. “No idea. What do you usually do on off days?”

Evan thought about it. Lately he’d been visiting Jared on his off days. Before then, he’d just sit in his room, telling his mom he had no friends, doing a whole lot of nothing on his cheap laptop. ‘Idk’ he wrote. ‘Be in love with you?’

Jared grinned, kissing Evan again. “Wanna watch YouTube videos and be lazy?”

‘Sure’ Evan wrote, before suddenly crossing it out. He pulled the book closer to himself as he wrote something longer. ‘Wait, don’t we have to get ready for that ball?’

Jared shook his head. “The ball is tomorrow, we have time.”

‘I know, but still.’ Evan was worried. At least this way he couldn’t ramble. 

Jared grabbed Evan's hand. “It'll be okay, Ev.”

Writing everything was already becoming tedious. Evan squeezed Jared’s hand and leaned his head on Jared’s shoulder. 

Jared smiled, kissing Evan's cheek. 

After ten minutes of being voiceless, Evan was ready to punch something. He was incredibly bored, and his sharpie was running out of ink. It was frustrating as hell. 

Jared chuckled. “You have an aura of tension.”

Evan nodded sadly. 

Jared cooed, running his fingers through Evan's hair. “It's only a day, Ev.”

Evan sighed, mouthing ‘it’s just frustrating’ to Jared. 

Jared nodded. “I know, Evan. Do you want to go out and see a movie or something? Maybe it'll get your mind off it.”

A movie? In public? With a bunch of people who suddenly knew who he was? Evan didn’t think that was a smart idea, but shaking his head would be just plain rude. So he nodded. 

Jared hummed. “We can dress up so no one recognizes us.”

Evan furrowed his eyebrows. Dress up? Like, fancy? Or disguised? He was a little confused. He hoped his expression would convey it. 

Jared snorted. “I mean, like, dress up as in disguise. Not like a suit.”

Ah, that only confused Evan further. He sighed in annoyance and grabbed his notebook again. ‘Like a fake mustache?’ He drew a crude drawing of Jared with a mustache. 

Jared laughed, shaking his head. “No, Ev, not fake mustaches. We just need some sunglasses, honestly. No one is going to be looking for us, so it should be fine.”

Evan still wasn’t convinced. ‘Isn’t the media looking for us?’

Jared shrugged. “Not at the movies. In fact, they currently think that we are heading out to the middle of nowhere for a secret date.”

Evan’s eyes widened. He wrote a single question mark. 

Jared grinned. “Gotta keep 'em busy, y’know?”

Evan rolled his eyes, smiling a little. Classic Jared. 

“So, is there anything you wanna see?”

Evan thought about it. He knew a couple horror movies just came out, and he really didn’t want to see one of those. What else was playing? A cartoon about a bunny, he remembered. He drew a rabbit on his notebook, not recalling the title of the film. 

Jared hummed. “That movie with James Corden?”

Evan nodded. That was it. 

Jared pecked Evan on the lips, smiling dopily. Of course that was the one he wanted to see. How cute. “Well we better get ready then, huh?”

Evan shot him a simple smile, indicating he’d follow Jared’s lead. 

\----------------------

Things went just as smoothly as Jared had predicted. No one interested in their affairs was out and about roaming the local cinema- especially on a tuesday.

Evan’s anxiety had let up because of that, and he had grabbed Jared’s hand about halfway to the entrance. 

Jared smiled at him, tugging him through to doors and all the way to the theater. He wasn't particularly interested in this movie, but he was very interested in spending time with Evan.

Evan breathed in the smell of the building as they passed through. He wanted popcorn, but he’d left his notebook in the car. Oh well. He pointed to the top of the seats, indicating he wanted to sit in the back—prime makeout position. 

Jared nodded, leading Evan up to the very top corner and allowing him to settle. “Do you want me to go get popcorn and drinks 'n stuff?”

Evan’s eyes lit up. He nodded, glad Jared knew him so well. 

Jared chuckled, leaning down to peck Evan on the lips before heading back out of the theater to get some refreshments. 

Evan instantly felt tense. He just wanted Jared back with him. What if someone came in? He nearly panicked. 

Luckily, no one bothered Evan and Jared returned in only about 7 minutes, snacks in hand. “Gifts!”

Evan sighed in relief. He grinned, taking the popcorn from Jared so he had a free hand to hold the seat down. He didn’t stop staring at his boyfriend happily. 

Jared settled into his seat with a huff, dropping the drink into the cupholder on the seat’s armrest. He took Evan's free hand, bringing it up to his lips to kiss the back of it.

Evan pulled Jared’s hand to his own lips, kissing it as well. Immediately after, he stuffed his mouth with popcorn. 

Jared chuckled, turning back to face the screen as the previews played. Luckily, there were only a few other people scattered around the theater, meaning they were virtually secluded in their corner.

Evan was glad they had the corner to themselves. He’d been mildly interested in the movie, sure, but kissing Jared was something he was way more into. And the popcorn. Jared had gotten the perfect amount of butter on it. He planned on finishing it before the previews were over. 

Jared, on the other hand, was a bit consumed in his own thoughts. He had been planning something for tomorrow that he couldn't tell Evan, and he had been so caught up with all the curse stuff he had nearly forgotten about it. The movie would be a good time to think through how he was going to go about things when the time came.

Evan was a little preoccupied as well. He did pay attention to the film, but he was also thinking about what it might feel like to be normal. To live without this curse would be a miracle, and it was finally about to happen. He was anxious about it, but also excited. He squeezed Jared’s hand as he thought about it. 

They made it through the movie with no interruptions, Jared eventually deciding he had prepared himself as much as he could for now. After the movie ended, the pair went out and wandered the town, entertaining each other easily despite Evan's inability to speak.

Eventually, Evan’s eyes landed on an ice cream shop. He pointed excitedly, the popcorn not enough to ease his hunger. 

Jared instantly led him inside, ordering anything he pointed to. 

Evan ended up with a huge bowl of everything chocolate, a single cherry on top. He stared at it in wonder, not sure he wanted to ruin it just yet. 

Jared chuckled, checking the time. “5 and a half more hours, Ev.”

Had that much time passed already? Damn, Evan must have lost track. He grinned. Sticking his spoon into the ice cream, he gave Jared a thumbs up. 

Jared hummed, leaning over to peck Evan's lips. He didn't think he would ever get tired of kissing him, honestly.

Evan gave Jared a dopey smile, eating quickly at his ice cream pile. The sooner he finished, the longer they could cuddle at home or something similar. 

After Evan finished eating, the pair returned to his house and headed straight for the bedroom. Prince or not, Jared fucking loved cuddling.

Evan instantly sank onto his bed, pulling Jared on with him. They could easily cuddle for four more hours. It would take the anxiety of it away, anyway.

Jared hummed, crawling into bed and curling up to Evan's side. Jared also fucking loved naps, and he knew that this was prime setup for a good ass nap.

Yawning, Evan pulled Jared closer. He nearly melted into his boyfriend’s warmth. A nap would be great for them, he thought. Perfect way to end the day. 

Jared pulled the blankets up to his chin, leaning up to kiss Evan softly before settling back down, breathing in Evan's calming scent. 

Evan closed his eyes, allowing himself for a moment to just imagine that this was all life had to be—him and Jared together, no stressors to worry about. 

Jared was doing the same thing, easily allowing himself to relax and let the drowsiness creep in. It didn't take him long to fall asleep.

————

Evan woke up to a sore throat. He turned over, shaking Jared, trying to wake him too so he could accompany him to the kitchen to get a drink. 

Jared woke up slowly, blinking blearily at Evan. He yawned, temporarily forgetting the circumstances they were under when they fell asleep. “'sup, buttercup?”

Evan simply pouted at him. 

Jared chuckled, kissing Evan sleepily. “What?”

Evan frowned. He didn’t want to risk testing to see if he could talk—his throat really burned. He pointed to it and pouted more. 

Jared blinked, his memories slowly coming back to him. “Oh yeah!” Shit, did it work?

Evan sighed, shaking his head. He swallowed, wincing, to make sure Jared knew he was trying to say his throat hurt. 

Jared nodded. “Thorsty.”

Evan blinked. He thought he knew what Jared meant. He nodded, a little uncertain. 

Jared snorted. “Sorry, I don't know why I said that. Should we go get you some water?”

Evan nodded again, a bit shy this time. 

Jared smiled, pulling Evan out of bed. “Is your mom home?”

Evan stretched, shrugging. It depended on what time it was. 

Jared hummed. “Lead the way, buddy, it's your house.”

Evan grabbed Jared’s hand, kissed his cheek, and pulled him the entire way to the kitchen. What time _was_ it? His mother’s car wasn’t in the garage, but it was dark, so it must have been close to when her night classes were. 

Jared lingered at the counter as Evan fixed a glass of water. “I like your house, Ev.”

Evan took a sip and smiled. His throat was already feeling better. It must have been a side effect from the potion, or maybe from not talking for so long. He leaned over to kiss Jared sweetly in response. 

Jared hummed against Evan's lips. “Feeling better?”

Evan nodded, lazily tapping his wrist in question about the time. 

Jared glanced at his phone as he pulled it out of his pocket. “It's been approximately 13 hours and 12 minutes.”

“ _Thirteen hours?!_ ” Evan said on instinct, gasping at himself. “I can talk!”

Jared grinned. “You can talk!”

“I can– Wait. Did it _work_?”

Jared bounced on his feet excitedly. “ _Did_ it work?!”

Evan drank some more water. “I don’t know! Tell me to do something!”

Jared paused. “Kiss me!”

Evan couldn’t just _not_ kiss him. He did it quickly. “Something I don’t wanna do, J.”

Jared pouted, kissing Evan again. “Uh, Leave the room?”

Evan almost took a step. Almost. His feet weren’t tingling. He had the free will to stay. “N-No,” he said defiantly. 

Jared's eyes lit up and his breath caught. “Evan! It worked!”

Evan felt a little numb. “I-It _worked_!” He shouted, his throat still stinging, but ignoring it. “I didn’t do it! I-I said no!”

Jared wrapped Evan in a tight hug. “Holy Shit!”

Evan stayed stiff. “I-I don’t know what to feel!”

Jared pulled back. “Happy, right?”

“I...don’t know?”

Jared frowned slightly. “This is what you wanted, right?”

“Ye-Yeah, but...what now? I don’t– I-” There was no way Evan was having a panic attack right after his curse was finally lifted, right?

Jared put a hand on Evan's cheek, bringing his gaze up to Jared's. “Hey, Hey, Ev, calm down. It's okay. You don't have to know what you’re gonna do next. You can let it come as it wants. It's okay,” He tried his best to soothe him, his thumb rubbing soothing circles on the soft skin of Evan's cheekbone.

A tear squeezed out of Evan’s eye. “B-But I- this isn’t what I expected at _all_ ,” he uttered quietly. He thought he’d be ecstatic, but he was just caught between numb relief and agonizing confusion. 

Jared used his free hand to run through Evan's hair to try and calm him. “It's okay, sometimes things are weird like that. That doesn't make it bad. It's gonna take time to get used to this, you’ve had the curse your whole life, it's only reasonable to be like this.”

Evan took deep, staggered breaths. “I-I’m sorry,” he said. “I-It is a good thing, a-and I’m grateful.”

Jared shook his head, smiling reassuringly. “You don't have to be sorry, Evan.”

“Y-You know I am!”

Jared kissed him softly. “But you don't need to be.”

“But-“

“Not sorry!”

“Jared!”

“Evan!”

Evan hesitated. “...C-Can you tell me to do something again?”

Jared kissed Evan again. Mostly just because he felt like it. “Sure. Uh,” he paused. “Punch me.”

“No!” Evan said, a smile finally creeping onto his face. 

Jared laughed. “Kick me!”

“No!” Evan said louder, grinning now.

Jared's heart warmed at Evan's smile. “Hurt me.”

“Never!” Evan kissed him sweetly. Here was the happiness he’d been missing. 

Jared grinned. “I love you, Ev. I told you we would do it!”

“I believed you! It’s– It’s gone!” Evan kept grinning. 

Jared pulled him back into another hug. “This is great!”

“Do you still love me?” Evan blurted. 

Jared paused. “Of course I do!”

“Are you sure?”

“I've never been more sure of anything!”

Evan kissed Jared’s hair. “Good.”

Jared smiled, pulling away slightly. “Well now what? I mean, realistically I should probably get back home soon but, like, fuck that.”

“Can’t you stay here tonight?” Evan proposed. 

Jared softened, burying his face in Evan's neck. “I thought you'd never ask,” he laughed, holding him close.

Evan hugged him tightly. The day had been a real roller coaster of emotions. “I-I have a few ideas of what we could do…” He trailed off. 

Jared let Evan's presence wash over him. “Hm? Like what?”

“I-I think you know,” Evan said. He felt too awkward to say it out loud. 

Jared paused, face warming. Did Evan mean..? “You want to–” he cut himself off, face red. “Am I reading this situation right, or am I just a horny idiot?”

Evan laughed a little. “Both, I think.”

Jared's breath hitched in his throat. “Oh?” He leaned up to kiss Evan, this time slow and lazy.

“Mhm,” Evan hummed against Jared’s lips. 

Jared's hands moved down to Evan's sides, running up and down slowly. He angled his head, deepening the kiss further.

Evan shuddered, parting his lips just so. He wanted this, and he hoped Jared did too. 

Jared hummed into the kiss, his fingers finding their way the Evan's belt loops. He hooked his fingers in them, pulling Evan along as he shuffled backwards. He wanted to ask to move to the bedroom, but he really didn't want to stop kissing Evan.

Evan kept his lips on Jared’s, waiting until the shorter boy’s back hit the wall to turn them around and take the role of pulling him into his bedroom. He could tell that’s where Jared wanted to be. The tugging on his belt loops was a nice touch, too, he thought. 

Jared followed Evan with no resistance, locking Evan's bedroom door behind them. He pulled Evan back down again, pressing their lips together in another languid kiss.

Evan backed up this time, falling onto his small bed and pulling Jared down with him, their lips still connected. His hands traveled down Jared’s chest. 

Jared gasped softly, pulling away just enough to meet Evan's eyes. “Are you sure you want this?”

Evan smiled sweetly, his eyes sincere. “Yeah,” he said. “I think this calls for a little celebration.”

Jared smiled, pulling Evan's shirt up over his head carefully and tossing it away. “Yes,” he agreed. “It does.”

————-

Evan opened his eyes to sunlight coming through his window, no alarm to be afraid of. It wasn’t until he nearly sat up that he remembered Jared was there, laying beside him, cuddled into his side. It wasn’t until then, also, that he remembered they were both kind of...naked. Suddenly he didn’t feel so sleepy anymore. He tried kissing Jared awake. 

Jared hummed, kissing back as best he could in his sleepy state. He didn't open his eyes, instead just cuddling closer.

Evan would have to try harder. He bit down gently on Jared’s bottom lip, tugging it ever so slightly. 

Jared whined softly, cracking his eyes open. “Mm so early? So much stamina,” he teased, pulling Evan down into another kiss as he woke up properly.

Evan let the kiss happen naturally, but once he pulled away, he spoke again. “Just trying to wake you up, J.”

Jared ran a hand through his hair, yawning into his hand. “Well, you did it, sweetie. I'm definitely awake.”

Evan almost lifted the blanket, but thought against it. “Don’t tell me you’re– Again?”

Jared laughed. “Not quite yet, babe. But I could be if you wanted,” he snorted, winking poorly.

Evan rolled his eyes playfully. “Maybe later,” he said. “Isn’t the ball today? We can go public officially!” He had been afraid of it at first, but he decided Jared was nothing to be ashamed of. 

Jared grinned, nodding. “It is! Today’s the day!”

“Maybe we should have actually practiced dancing,” Evan said. “Or at least got me fitted for a suit.”

Jared shrugged. “There's still time.”

“There’s probably a reason we were told to do those things a week ago though.”

Jared pressed a kiss to Evan's jaw. “It's fine.”

Evan groaned. “But now I’m gonna be all sore,” he complained. “Thanks to you.”

Jared laughed lightly. “How about to make up for it I give you a massage tonight?”

“If I survive whatever Alana Beck will do when she finds out the rumors about us are true, you can give me a massage.”

Jared hummed, kissing Evan again. “Do I know Alana?”

“I don’t think you’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting her.” Evan shook his head. 

Jared nodded. “I'll have to meet her sometime.”

“She’ll make herself known sooner or later.”

Jared hummed again. “Do you think your mom is home?”

“Do you want her to be?” Evan asked. 

Jared shrugged. “I'm naked right now.”

“And beautiful!”

Jared smiled. “I love you.”

Evan touched their noses together. “Love you most,” he said. “And I do think she’s home.”

Jared didn't move away. “We should probably get dressed, then.”

“Your clothes are dirty. Wear some of my peasant cloths.” Evan was joking. 

Jared kissed the tip of Evan's nose. “Peasant rags for the day, huh? I think I can live with that.”

“Just until we go to your place,” Evan assured. “Uh, the castle.”

“Right.” Jared reluctantly sat up. “I'm sore too, but I imagine in a different way.”

“You can live for a few hours, honey.”

Jared sighed dramatically. “I _guess_.”

Evan rolled his eyes. “Rich boy.”

Jared snickered. “We really should get up.”

“I’m not stopping you!”

Jared pouted. “You also aren't getting out of bed.”

“I’m my own man now.”

Jared leaned over to kiss him. “My man.”

“Okay, your man.” Evan kissed him again quickly. 

Jared smiled, pleased. “Good.”

Evan frowned. “I have to get up now?”

Jared nodded. “Unfortunately.”

“What a rude boyfriend.”

Jared laughed, fidgeting slightly. He had had plans for today, and while he still wanted to go through with them, he was far more nervous than he expected. “Hey, Ev? There's something- something I've been wanting to ask you. Nothing bad, I swear!”

Evan’s humorous disposition gave way to his instantly rising anxiety despite Jared’s reassurance. “U-Um, go ahead?”

Jared gulped, heart pounding. “So, um. I promised myself I would do this today, so I'm not gonna back out.” He took a deep breath. “Now, I know we're Young, and you're still in high school, so like this isn't like an _immediate_ request, per se, but um,” Jared took another deep breath. “Shit, this is hard. Evan Hansen, after you graduate and everything gets settled… will you marry me?” He squeezed his eyes shut, bracing himself for the response. He’d never felt so nervous in his life.

Evan felt his body freeze. Had Jared just proposed to him? While they were in bed and naked? Honestly, it was a very Jared move. Finally, he felt himself able to control his motions again, so he put a gentle hand on Jared’s cheek, hoping his boyfriend would look at him. He’d never been more certain of an answer to any question in his life. “Yes,” he said with no trouble. 

Jared gasped, eyes snapping open to search Evan's. “Y-Yeah?” His voice was shaky with emotions. God, he was such a mess.

Evan grinned wider than ever. No hesitation: “Yeah.”

Jared broke into a grin, laughing happily. Great, now he was crying. He threw his arms around Evan's neck, holding him close. “I love you.”

Evan felt a tear of joy roll down his own cheek. “Love you more, J.” He’d have to tell his mom about this. 

Jared sniffled, laughing again. “Forever,” he muttered. He didn't plan to ever let Evan go, now that he had him.

“Forever,” Evan echoed. He didn’t have a single thought about being king.

**Author's Note:**

> i could have added #coming untouched BUT i didnt so ur welcome


End file.
